“It’s so sad to me that it still haunts her. It’s scary what that means to a lady,” Riley said. “Maybe retribution would have helped that. I don’t know. I just reminded our team here recently about those things that will change their life and others in a blink of an eye.”

“It’s scary what that means to a lady”? Then he goes on to make it about himself and the team.

Mike Riley, the football coach who Brenda Tracy resented so much all those years, is contemplating the unthinkable. He wonders if Tracy, nurse and survivor, might stand in front of his football team someday and share the gravity of her terrible experience.

“What do you think?” he asked me.

I told the coach she’d be powerful.

“I always try to research the right people to talk to our team and do it throughout the year,” Riley said. “That would be a compelling talk. A real-life talk. Instead of just talking about rape and sexual assault, actually having someone talk about how things can change for everyone in a moment like that.

I guess he’s trying to teach these players they shouldn’t rape people? Duh. Do people really need to be taught that? Maybe the lesson he’s trying to teach is your life can change quickly. That’s not as intuitive, so maybe there’s more merit there. But it just comes off really odd to me; like he is making it about himself and his players. Feels very “old boy network” to have a gang rape victim standup and talk to a football team when the coach who gave her rapists a 1 game suspension is standing there with [once again] his players’ well-being, rather than hers, in mind. It’s disgusting. I think completely differently about Riley after reading that article. I used to think he was a nice guy…

One take, is that it doesnt mean shit to Riley, and he is telling the team he wont come down on a rapist, but they might feel badly because they ruined someone’s life. But then he didnt really give a shit when it happened….one game suspension-slap on the wrist. And being surprised the victim is still disturbed about it….lol. What a dik.

Really awkward quotes from Riley……I think he realizes stonewalling would have looked terrible, so he has to respond in some manner, of course Canzano falls for it and makes it sound like Riley is stepping up to the plate. I think this came out of left field for Riley and he’s spinning like a top.

Nope, you guys are reaching. I’m not saying Riley shouldn’t have done more back in 1998, but only because I don’t have enough facts, and neither do you. You’re reading one article and running with it like it’s 100% and that it contains all the information needed.

This is 2014. There is no place for reflecting or investigating. Only outrage and reaction.

You must believe everything as presented or alleged. All accused men are complete liars, and all accusers tell the 100% unbiased truth. By extension, anything other than immediate burial of and dissociation from the accused is covering for them. I mean… what are you, a misogynistic rape apologist? Shameful.

Sarcastic social commentary aside, I want to know what Riley knew. Whatever exactly happened that night among the he said/he said/he said/he said/she said, it was clearly something awful. The whole thing is disturbing. First I’ve heard of it as I was in high school at the time and not yet a beav.

Based on what was presented it doesn’t sound like a “he said/she said” scenario but a lot more clear cut with physical evidence found from the rape kit and also at the scene. Plus you have the guys implicating each other in the interviews. Too bad this was before social media, they probably would have live-tweeted it.

Oh, there’s no question something terrible happened. I’m talking about did Riley know the specifics, and does anyone know the specifics given the multiple stories accusing each other and alcohol involved.

At the least, he knew there was an alleged incident and also players exercising *at least* bad judgment by getting involved with or creating the situation at hand. However, I highly doubt Riley thought, “hmmm yeah these guys raped a woman… let’s suspend them for a game and brush it under the rug, it’ll blow over.” I mean come on. If he did think that, that’s deplorable and I say toss him out… but I strongly doubt that’s what happened.

Keep in mind that kicking the players off the team essentially brands each of those players as rapists and derails their lives. That is nothing to take lightly either. When the alleged victim does not even want to help prosecute and information of who did what is unknown (and without the benefit of hindsight and more external information), there is a major possibility such actions would also have been an injustice.

Angry, your reaction to issues to topics that have a high level of human emotion are always interesting. I see Riley’s idea to have her talk to the team as completely opposite of “old boy network”. As someone who has worked in mental health with both victims and perpetrators of sexual abuse, it can be very beneficial for both sides to have this type of experience. Also, the side not directly involved benefits when it contributes to creating an atmosphere of respect. While Riley’s word choice can be picked at, I saw his reaction as rather refreshing and forward thinking, where with a lot of coaches I think you would get some words of acknowledgment and nothing after that. Riley reflecting on his lack or response at the time, and the school issuing a response is also very non old boy network. And to answer your question, some people actually do need to be taught not to rape women.

A “bad choice” is having too much to drink on new years and waking up with a hangover. Raping someone with a flashlight, then sodomizing them for 7 HOURS—-that is not a “bad choice.” Pretty much to everyone else besides Riley that is a heinous crime. he’s a fake dad coach who pats them on the back, tells them they did a teeny weeny oopsie daisy and sends them off to the next practice. Great job, dude

And if you believe that, then I have several bridges in Alaska I want to try to sell to you.

This is more than obscene. I invite everyone who has Twitter to join the Penn State Tweeters in their fake outrage about trying to bring the death penalty on our football team. I know it will never happen. And Ed Ray’s apology is an appropriate response for the timing and situation. But I believe we and everyone need to beat this horse beyond the ground and into hell.

And I would like it to be pounded to shit for as many years as it takes until my daughter finishes school.

Okay… I would like it to be done by then to such an extent that it really is taboo.

She says she wishes she prosecuted. The thing is, I don’t think the statute of limitations has passed.

Criminal mistreatment and certain felony sexual offenses (including rape, sodomy, unlawful sexual penetration, incest, sexual abuse, and compelling or promoting prostitution): Within six years after the commission of the crime, or if the victim at the time of the crime was under 18 years of age, within 12 years after the offense is reported to a law enforcement agency or the Department of Human Services or anytime before the victim attains 30 years of age, whichever occurs first.

This makes it look like it has passed. But then…

DNA Evidence

If the defendant is identified on the basis of DNA samples, a prosecution for:

Rape in the first degree, sodomy in the first degree, unlawful sexual penetration in the first degree or sexual abuse in the first degree may be commenced at any time after the commission of the crime.

Rape in the second degree, sodomy in the second degree or unlawful sexual penetration in the second degree may be commenced within 25 years after the commission of the crime.

So if they have DNA, and it sounds like they did get it, then she can still prosecute them. If someone knows how to contact her, they should probably tell her that.

I’m not defending Riley here, but what was he supposed to do? Suspend them for a crime they weren’t convicted of? Yes I know she refused to cooperate so the DA could prosecute. Are they guilty? None of us were there nor has any of us seen the police report. I’m not defending anyone here and if they are guilty, then yes they should have their dicks removed via chainsaw. But that didn’t happen. It’s innocent unless proven guilty, not the other way around. We read ONE side of the story.

Coye Francies got kicked off the team for a gun charge that was later dropped. Riley has a “no gun” policy and didn’t hesitate to boot Francies. Having a registered firearm is obviously legal under the 2nd amendment. No crime, no issue…he gets the boot. Yet Riley gives just 1 game for a rape charge (that apparently had a lot of physical evidence) and doesn’t act as hastily as the gun charge. He should at least be consistent.

To answer your question: if I were the coach I’d have suspended them until I got more information, and I would have gone down to the police station to get that information statim. I think that’s reasonable.

Agreed. And here’s an instance of a player being dismissed from the team in 2012 while the charges were still pending. According to this article he was accused of first degree menacing/trespassing and hadn’t been sentenced yet: http://www.kgw.com/story/sports/2014/07/24/12354326/

You’re trying to compare something that happened in 1998 and a coaching trying to build a program. To a guy in 2007 ( I think when Coye got removed) who has his program established. Furthermore things are vastly different in 1998 vs 2007 and now.

You’re reaching and you know it!

How you think and act now is different then what you would have done 16 years ago and its different from how you will act/think in 16 years later.

Do you honestly think for one second if the same thing happened today (prior to this article) that Riley would not have done something more then a 1 game suspension?

Quick question, did you actually read the article? The guys basically admit to rape or admit to seeing the others rape her.

Ainsworth told police he took Tracy’s clothes off and had consensual sex with her. He said he didn’t understand why Tracy would believe she was violated. When detectives asked Ainsworth if the other men in the room had violated her, he said, “Yea, but I know I didn’t.”

Carlyle, Oregon State’s defensive back, minimized his involvement to investigators. At first, he denied any sexual contact with Tracy. Then, he told police he’d touched her body, requested sex acts and participated in brief oral sex. According to the report, Carlyle said Tracy told him “No” repeatedly before and after the oral sex. Carlyle “heard her tell the other males ‘No’ when they requested sex acts also,” the report noted.

Dandridge, the Beavers running back, was said by Carlyle to be among those touching Tracy’s body all over and requesting sex acts. Tracy knew Dandridge as an acquaintance from a local nightclub. She remembered looking up at one point, asking him to make it stop. Dandridge told investigators during his interview that he felt the entire event was “a risky situation.”

When asked by police why it was risky, Dandridge said, “I know if she was not saying ‘No,’ but you repeatedly ask her to do something and she doesn’t want to, you have to be cool.”

These are not her words or her side of it. It’s their side of it. I’m all for innocent until proven guilty. But I don’t think people saying the above should be left on a football team as if nothing happened.

Yes, I read the article. But again, as it stands, they weren’t convicted of anything. As for the comparison to the duck players getting kicked off the team, 16 years difference. and no I don’t think not raping should be in the code of conduct. It’s a given. No one admitted to raping her. Everyone points the finger at the others. Without her testimony the DA did not feel he could get a conviction. So basically what you are saying is you are ok with someone being punished for something they were not convicted of? Got it. Did something happen that night? Obviously. Should Francies have been booted off the team? Well, IF he in fact did have a gun in his car and it was against Riley’s/OSU policy, then yes. He knew that ahead of time. It’s just like Mike Leach said last week. Yes, weed is legal in Washington. But it’s still against our rules and you’re still gonna be booted if you test positive. Should those players in 1998 have been suspended longer than 1 game? IDK. Did they commit a crime? She says they did. None of them admitted they did but pointed the finger at the others. I wasn’t there. The DA didn’t feel strongly he could get a conviction without her testimony. It is what it is.

Carlyle said Tracy told him “No” repeatedly before and after the oral sex. Carlyle “heard her tell the other males ‘No’ when they requested sex acts also,”

Carlyle implicates himself. Period.

With her testimony the DA thought he had a good case. Did you see that part? She didn’t want to testify for neurotic reasons (boyfriend would dump her, etc)…

Obviously it would need to go to court for us to know all and I agree completely with innocent until proven guilty. So we’re all on the same page there. The main point of this thread was that Riley used really bizarre language. Whether he meant to or not, the way it comes off is that he wants to use this victim to teach his boys life lessons. That is messed up. He should be helping this girl not using her (again) for the team’s gain.

Bend says this is some sort of advanced psychological coping and Riley is being progressive. I don’t know…just know it feels disgusting reading his comments.

exactly. I’d like to hear the entire story from all parties involved. I’m very confused as to why the DA did not continue after Carlyle’s statements. Yes, I missed that part so i was wrong. Yes, he admitted it. I fail to understand. You have evidence. You have an admission. DA sounds like a complete ruhtard. But all in all that was 16 years ago. Could Riley have handled it better in 1998? Quite possible. However, she is the one that called Canzano and brought it up and so the article was written. What were any of us expecting Riley to say? He should have been more vague kind of like in his postgame or sunday night comments. I’m actually shocked he didn’t say we need to be more balanced. Either way this whole story is bizarre and not a very neat deal.

I don’t think there are that many ways to interpret the word “still”. I’m pretty sure that Riley didn’t mean to be insensitive, but a phrase like that comes from the sheltered, pampered world of a man making millions to coach a game.

Would you ever say to someone that you are sad that they are still haunted by the death of their spouse 16 years ago? There is no timetable for recovering from this type of traumatic experience. Still implies that the situation should have resolved itself by now.

The story that most are missing, at least three of the participants have been rehabilitated and are functioning without further cost to society. Is justice purely about punishment and retribution? Are we just later day Romans sitting in the Coliseum giving it the thumbs up or down? We have heard one part of one side of a story, which is fairly chopped up and repackaged to benefit the storyteller, Canzano, and his protagonist. But the story, as told by Canzano, simply does not make sense. How does it benefit Brenda, for these guys to be sent to jail today? Yes she is brave for being transparent, for putting her name out there, and for overcoming a horrible experience, and rape.The better story is how she has overcome the nightmare to succeed and prosper in life. There is a lesson for coaches too. You bring in recruits, show them the library and then turn them over to 18-19 year olds for the evening. You tell the kids to show the recruits a good time. What the heck do you expect to happen?

As I recall, Riley said he advised UO on the Blount punishment and he was (almost) suspended for a season….. for just punching an opposing player. This gang rape thing was far more serious, and he just does a one game suspension. Yes, it was “alleged” but it was far more serious. And like some have pointed out, guys have been kicked off the squad for much less.

I have seen it said that women view or feel about rape, like a guy would feel about castration. It has probably affected the rest of her life. And Riley says he is surprised she is still affected by it???? LOL … man, that is totally a fucked up good ol boy attitude.

Lets face it, our Riley is at the very least, a dik…. The Paterno of the west, for sure…

He is sad it STILL haunts her. Showing total insensitivity. And using still, means he is surprised. Being haunted by something is not sad, its tragic. Sad is a pretty mild feeling.

In any case, his statement is not a good one. But then he expressed himself pretty well, back then, by just suspending players for a game, when they committed gang rape. Obviously he doesnt think gang rape is a serious charge at all.

Yes, there is still a case. But the victim is the one under the gun, as they have to relive it in court, and be re-victimized. So if she understandibly refuses to testify, the case is greatly weakened. The perps can then circle the wagons, etc…

I totally disagree with you on this Angry. You’ve had an agenda against Riley prior to this story and now it appears as though you’re using this to further that agenda. You did the same with Hekker and Mannion, once you don’t like a guy you go overboard to find additional faults with him.
“It’s so sad to me that it still haunts her” is nothing but a compassionate statement from a guy who obviously has sympathy for her.
Riley IS a nice guy who I would have no problem entrusting my son to as a father figure.

Riley is representing the program and the school. If he didnt know what to say, he should say so. He said it. One is free to interpret.

I have always thought that he isnt the brightest guy, off the cuff — witness many statements about games for gods sake. But when you say something, as a school rep in public, you better choose your words. As soon as that subject was brought up, red flags should have been flappin in Riley’s mind. But he just isnt that bright.

For those saying since no crime occurred you need to let due process play out before kicking the guys off the team, Riley disagrees. Again, I wonder if people read the article.

“What I hope I’ve learned through the years is ‘What are we really doing here?’ There are deals, you have to look at it case by case, and gather information. I don’t necessarily think you have to wait for the courts to say ‘guilty’ when you’re talking about guns, when you’re talking about abuse of women, when you’re talking about assault, DUI, drugs and you usually know enough to know that these guys have disrespected the program.

“I’m in the business of helping these guys grow, but some guys refuse that and you have to cut them loose totally. Some guys you have to suspend, see how they do from there. … It’s a hard world to be in. You’re judge and jury. But if there were a baby sitter that was accused of molesting kids, would you continue to let them babysit your kids and wait for a jury to decide?”

In this case you have a guy admitting to rape and saying he saw other guys rape her, along with reported physical evidence, a positive rape kit, etc. It’s bizarre.

I think arguments like this are the exact reason that coaches avoid discussions like this or make bland, meaningless statements (often issued by the university).

Pretty sure it would have been impossible for Riley to come off sounding good in this particular interview. And to debate his word choice (still)…really? This isn’t a carefully crafted statement, it’s an off-the-cuff response. I don’t know about you, but if I’m involved in a delicate conversation (or any conversation…) it’s pretty hard for me to say exactly what I mean all the time. And Riley says dumb things in interviews all the time…being articulate is not exactly a strength of his.

Agree with Bend on this one. Ultimately he was willing to engage rather than ignore the issue. That’s more than most coaches would have done.

She said she had come forward 16 years later because she remained haunted by the words of Oregon State coach Mike Riley, who said two players had made “a bad choice.”

Riley told Canzano he regrets those words, and proposed that Tracy talk to his football team about her experience

He says his players make a bad choice. Then realizes it is wrong to say that. And instead of helping her, asks her to help him by talking to the team “about her experience”. Hilarious if it weren’t tragic.

She would talk about the emotional impact the trauma had on her, and probably her thoughts on how guys on the team can prevent it happening to someone else. It would likely be something the guys would remember the rest of their lives.

I’m not sure there’s anything he could do, but I think it’s possible that offering her a voice could be a healthy thing for her – see Bend’s comment above. Talking to the team- good, bad or otherwise- does not “help” Riley. It makes him look really bad by dredging up an old mistake.

Oh it helps him greatly. He says that he talks to his team about their lives changing overnight, so to have someone come in and give an actual example of that would help him make that point tremendously.

Riley has a lot of resources at his disposal so he could probably help her in many ways. But let’s just say at the very least he could reach out in private and sit down with her, explain his thought process, explain what he’s doing/did to make sure it didn’t happen again, apologize profusely for his slew of ridiculous comments, etc. Then if she needs therapy set that up. Etc. You know, things to actually help a traumatized person. Instead we get (paraphrasing), “hey, come talk to my football team about how raping girls like you could mess up their lives.” Good one, Riley!

OT… is this the same CPD and Benton County prosecutor we all know and love? Did they just take a one day holiday back in 1998? WTF man?

Back on topic… I’m sure all angry points out in this post above, which is reasonable on the least side, must have happened quietly behind closed doors. And at worst there must have been some pay-off to make it all go away that we just don’t know about… because our boosters roll that way.

Riley’s responding to Canzano appropriately in his football coach role. Bringing in speakers to have an impact on the team is normal program stuff. And at the end of the article, she states that this would be something helpful. Riley offering something to her on a more personal level wouldn’t be appropriate to do through Canzano.

Bringing in speakers to have an impact on the team is normal program stuff

Right, bringing in a motivational speaker to talk about how to get ready for games and such, agree completely. Bringing in a football gang rape victim into a room of football players, not so much. Apparently he has never heard of PTSD. Maybe she accepts and does the talk and everything is great, but Riley’s complete obliviousness to her plight is astounding. You really can’t rationalize it away since his words are all in writing, but you can keep trying.

I’m not rationalizing anything. Having victims talk to groups of people in the same demographic as the perpetrator is not uncommon, and like I said, can be very impactful. It’s something in my own realm of professional experience so it’s not such a hard thing for me to grasp when Riley brought it up. I can tell a lot of the people posting in here don’t have much awareness of it.

If they’re stable, completely over it, etc. This woman seems neither and even says she dislikes Riley and does not think he’s nice, is sick of hearing that, etc. She clearly is not over it. Let’s not romanticize the idea that talking to football players will make her whole. Maybe in movies it works that way but in reality there are like 20 steps before you get to that point (if you even want to go there). Again, Riley is clueless.

I’m actually talking about reality, not movies, and not “getting over” anything. There’s not enough in the interview to determine if she’s ready, and it not for reader to decide. My point is that she wasn’t opposed to the idea when Canzano brought it up.

exactly. It’s like having someone who has had their life affected by a drunk driver speaking to a group of people in DUII diversion. To get the perspective of how your actions could change the lives of a victim to someone it’s already happened to.

THAT is who most college sports programs contract for this very subject. The prodigal son who once was an athlete gets to speak to others in order to keep them from becoming him.

It is almost 100% true that this happens at your school too. I haven’t asked. But I have an excuse not to ask. I’m afraid of the answer. I have chosen to willingly ignore my school’s potential hypocrisy.

Of course… I melo-d a little. I trust the students and community at OSU to highlight any such actions. But after Jay John (did his parents just get his name backward?) and LaVonda Wagner… I sometimes wonder.

Riley’s comments strike me as moral vanity “It’s so sad to me that it still haunts her; aren’t I a good person?” and the cheap solution “Do you think I should have her come talk to a room full of football players?”

Angry’s contrast with of Riley’s handling of the Coye Francis situation brings his poor judgement in ’98 into very specific relief.

I can’t believe he talked to the players about the issue but doesn’t recall what was said. If I had to talk to a few people about this subject, I think I’d remember it 16 years later. I know I would. Rape isn’t a common, casual conversation topic.

What if she rejected Riley’s request to come talk to the players and instead said: “Mr. Riley, if you really think this is wrong and regret it, I’d appreciate it if you’d resign and acknowledge you didn’t show good judgement in the way you addressed your player’s behaviors.”

The problem is that his decision to not give the players a harsher punishment is consistent with the weird and off putting remarks recently. So we’re left with actions + words + 16 year scope = ~*still*~ something rotten about Riley

Riley suggesting, after hearing it still haunts her, that she come lecture the same brand of guys who gang raped her clearly shows extreme insensitivity on Riley’s part. And this is a time when players are getting fried for child abuse, rape, etc. There are friggin sports commercials on tv about this very subject.

He better get his act together as so far he is coming off like a moron. My impression so far is that he deserves this to blow up in his face. But I cant think how to salvage it. I will leave it to the BDC, Ed Ray, Mike Riley brain trust to handle it….lol.

You could also ask what he means by “that”? I’m mean what are you trying to say? Here’s what you should say…..

“I’m sorry that two of my players more than likely were part of a gang rape that destroyed this women’s life for the better part of 15 years. I made some poor decisions at the time regarding appropriate punishment, that I’ve come to regret. I’m going to see if there are some ways I can help this young woman now after I apologize to her in person.”

I think you’re being overly cynical here. And is there damage to control? Maybe, but I also think he’s genuine about wanting to have her talk to the team and seeing a in that. And he would probably want to talk to her one on one about it and his response, or lack of it, at the time.

Umm… wouldn’t it be up to her whether or not to address those who she fears?

I’m sure it was hard enough to come back from at one point wanting to end her own life just to tell her story. A part of it has been borne from anger toward one particular person. That particular person offering to introduce her to others who are not but might resemble her attackers isn’t exactly a warm homecoming… or retribution… or closure… or whatever you jokers think she deserves.

We don’t know in the interview where she’s at in her own process emotionally. From how she talks, she’s been in therapy for awhile. She is speaking as though she is ready to talk about her experience in front of the team, so I’m taking that at face value.

She is speaking as though she is ready to talk about her experience in front of the team

Is she? She just broke the silence 3 days ago with a lone reporter. Not sure how you jump to she’s ready to talk to a team. Plus, why on earth should she talk to a team? If I were her therapist I would not advise that. Many times confronting major negative experiences like this seems like it would be cool and make you strong, get over it, yada yada, but in reality it winds up being extremely disappointing or even traumatic once you do it. Imagine she does this and some clown in the audience makes a joke or disrespects her in some way? There would be 18 year olds in the audience who are dying for attention and think they’re on top of the world, above the law, etc. Does a 40 year old woman want to take that risk? Again, maybe in the mind’s eye or other theoretical scenarios, but the odds someone says or does something to trigger a negative experience seem higher than this being enlightening for all. It’s best left to print as she did it. If Riley wants to send the team her message link them to the article. She owes Riley nothing. He owes her a lot. He lives in a bubble and has obviously put his ‘fake sons’ ahead of most things. He’s just trying to control the damage and look nice at this point. The time for him to be nice was 16 years ago and when Canzano asked him to comment a few days ago. He showed his true colors.

She broke her silence publicly, we don’t know where she’s at in her own therapeutic process. Whether she’s ready would need to be something she works through with her therapist. The greater risk is what she would experience related to the trauma while talking about it. Getting disrespected by the team would be unlikely to happen.

“Whether she’s ready would need to be something she works through with her therapist.”

DING DING DING DING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The next step someone complicit in her pain should do is wait for her to give some signal to her readiness to do something more than talk about how she feels in the moment… due to said trauma… perpetrated by the very (similar looking and entitled) people you suppose it would just be naturally healthy for her to speak to… because someone in the Density Bureau thought it would be a good idea.

Yes, please….why in hell does Riley think that a poor women who was raped and tramautized by HIS players from 16 years ago would suddenly now benefit from speaking to his new batch of players?

What am I missing here? It’s was Riley’s “bad choice” comment that haunted her. Maybe his new players will learn if they f-up this time Riley will throw the book at them? Riley is just lost here, he should have stayed quiet.

But she’s not the one suggesting this, it was Riley and you know she’s now feeling pressure to do this whether she really wants to or not because of the exposure and Riley’s celebrity status in Oregon. It’s not fair that he came up with this “suggestion” publicly.

It almost certainly is unintentional on Riley’s part. It’s not like he’s had a daughter who was raped by a football player. That doesn’t happen to people in a bubble. It’s not like he’s some well paid executive who is wise in worldly ways and grooms a younger generation to become greatness themselves.

If she were the one to suggest that she be drugged and penetrated in several orifices while she was incapacitated… over seven hours… then it would all be hunky-dory… since she was the one who suggested it.

I understand now.

I hope these perps are successful enough to afford therapy… for about two months.

I think you’re a little too defensive of the indefensible here. I understand what you’re saying because I’ve heard it from many many men… and many “men” as well. I think the Riley of today would do the right thing. The Riley of yesterday did not do so.

There is a dichotomy at play, and it could be tearing the coach apart.

And that would be good and right.

I hope it is correct. It would mean the man is now who everyone says he is. But it would also mean there was something lacking in the past. And that which was lacking will never allow me to trust him with my daughter, now or in the future.

That’s a good point about Riley waiting for her to approach him instead of the other way around, although while I was reading the article, I was thinking that she has already spoken with groups about her trauma since she is now talking to a journalist about it, although my assumption could be wrong.

I like all the comments calling Riley out on Canzano’s site, some good bullshit detectors posting…..also what’s up with that picture of Canzano off to the left? It’s looks like he’s bent over taking a piss off of a cliff!

Good call, I missed the computer, I just thought it was just part of the rocks or whatever is there. It does make it even weirder. He’s at the Grand Canyon…standing outside with his laptop, shaking the snake?

This is a fucked up situation. I think everyone here is in agreement it was horribly botched in 98′. As alums who care about the school It’s embarrassing. But you have to also keep in mind: Canzano isn’t a reporter but a columnist paid to sensationalize/draw traffic and comments. This article is framed for his purposes whatever they may be. The timing with Riley on the hot seat last week is suspicious. No one here knows what information was presented for Riley at the time. Regardless, you’d like to think if the allegations were out there Riley should have done a better job getting to the bottom of it. He failed as a man/leader in that respect. But IMO I can’t imagine he really knew what happened and ignored it. If he knew it was rape and not some drunken orgy (which you’d think the players probably told him) and helped sweep it under the rug then he’s not who I thought he was and needs to go. I just can’t fathom he could do that.

Regarding the proposed meeting, in Bends defense I’m posting the below from the Espn article. U guys are kind of going nuts with speculation based on canzanos carful weaving.

“Riley told Canzano he regrets those words, and proposed that Tracy talk to his football team about her experience. Tracy told Canzano she’s not interested in retribution, or a lawsuit, and would welcome the chance to speak to the team, or any group interested in hearing her story.

I see that in the ESPN article. That’s not precisely what Canzano wrote. The words, “would welcome the chance to speak to the team,” were never written. Maybe that’s a Canzano thing.

“Of course, she’d love to be part of an educational program, not just for the football team but for any group interested in hearing her story.”

I’ll take it for what it is for now. But upon first read I got the idea she was up in the air about it. I’m not against the idea, but the very fact Canzano had to write fourteen disclaimers about her maybe talking in an educational capacity is why she should have been the one to bring up that idea.

To me having her speak to Riley’s football team is just bizarre…speaking to more appropriate groups is great IF that’s what she really wants to do. I can’t tell if Canzano is trying to bury Riley or help him here. I’m not sure he knows after the quotes he got from MR.

That is weird, and it’s so out of the norm for the CPD and Benton County prosecution. Usually they would have these guys charged with the crimes they committed… and a couple war crimes… and jaywalking in the second degree. It’s not the norm for the state not to prosecute crimes against the state, regardless of whether or not the victim cooperates with the court proceedings.

Did they prosecute the “sheep incident” or was that some other department? Seemed like they went after Al Alfalava for running over a bus stop with more zeal. I guess things were different 16 years ago.

The legal system is set up to discourage women from participating in the process. Everything in a women’s life becomes fair game to lawyers regardless of its relevance to the case. Women have to be humiliated in public in order for them to receive justice.

Other than slam dunk cases, any she said, he said cases nearly always result in the accused getting off without any charges.

I’m not sure if this specifically pertains to women but it does happen in rape cases for sure. I think it’s the nature of the court system, when the plaintiff’s testimony is based on their word the defense attorneys will go into character assassination mode. And if you’re a woman in a rape case they’re going to call character into question…call you a slut, call you irresponsible, that you can’t be trusted. etc etc…All of that would be traumatic for a victim of rape. defense attorneys are nasty

One wonders if the apparently often poor coaching leads to losses when the talent on hand could have won, which then leads you to be the underdog in games where you actually are the better team, and so you get more “upsets”.

Early in his OSU career, Riley had a string of bowl victories, and it occurred to me that he is helped in that by underacheiving in the regular season, leading to OSU matched against a lesser team in its bowl game.